Campaigners gathered outside the Home Office today to demand immediate action for the protection of decapod crustaceans in scientific research. Led by animal welfare organization Crustacean Compassion, the group urged Secretary of State Yvette Cooper to close the loophole in the current Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 that excludes crabs and lobsters from legal and ethical protections.
Despite being recognized as sentient beings, decapod crustaceans are not covered under UK law, unlike other vertebrates and even some invertebrates such as octopuses. On World Day for Laboratory Animals, organizations and individuals around the world are speaking out for the rights of animals used in painful and often fatal experiments. In London, TV presenter and journalist Wendy Turner-Webster joined Crustacean Compassion to raise awareness for decapods and their lack of legal protection.
Turner-Webster stated, “Crabs and lobsters are recognized as sentient beings, so why are they being left out of legislation that provides ethical and legal protections for their treatment? Squid and octopus have been added to the legislation, but not crabs and lobsters. The scientific evidence for their sentience is the same, so it makes no sense to exclude them. The government has the power to change this, and we are urging them to do so. It is the logical and compassionate thing to do.”
A recent YouGov poll found that 61% of the public supports including crabs and lobsters under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act to protect them from research. Dr. Ben Sturgeon, Chief Executive of Crustacean Compassion, has spearheaded the campaign to include decapod crustaceans in the legislation. He stated, “There is clear precedent to give decapod crustaceans the same protection as other animals. The same scientific consensus exists for decapods, making their exclusion illogical and unjustifiable.”
Sturgeon also criticized the government’s delay in making a decision, stating, “We don’t understand why the government is stalling on this issue. They have stated they will wait to see if decapods are included in the Animal Welfare Act before making a decision on the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, but there is no legal requirement or precedent for them to do so.”
He added, “While they delay, thousands of decapods suffer needlessly in laboratories without any legal protection, ethical oversight, or record-keeping. Our Freedom of Information data shows that nearly 30,000 decapods were used in experiments from 2018-2024. We have strong public support for this cause, and we thank all those who have shown up today or shared our campaign online, giving a voice to those who do not have their own.”
The message to the Home Office is clear: stop stalling, follow the science, and amend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act now to protect crabs and lobsters from unregulated suffering in UK laboratories.
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